[Official investigation in Malaysia -- two teams to be deployed]

JOHOR BAHARU, Jan 25 (Bernama) -- The state government will set up two expedition teams to track "bigfoot", the hairy creature allegedly seen in the forests of Johor.

Menteri Besar Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman said the teams would be led by experts who would conduct a study on various aspects of the creature as well as to explore the state forest.

He said the expedition to track the creature would be carried out in stages with the cooperation of the Johor National Park Corporation (JNPC).

"One team will explore the forest areas while the other to study the existence of the creature," he told reporters after chairing the weekly state exco meeting at the Sultan Ibrahim building, here Wednesday.

Abdul Ghani said the vast forest area of the state, including the Endau-Rompin National Park and at Kota Tinggi, should be explored to obtain scientific evidence on the existence of the creature.

"We have obtained description of the creature from those who claimed to have seen it ... we hope the expedition will be able to prove its existence," he added.

There have been claims of the creature been seen in the forests of Tanjung Piai, Mersing, Kahang, Endau-Rompin National Park and Kota Tinggi.

Three workers at a fish pond in Kampung Mawai, Kota Tinggi claimed to have seen a "bigfoot" family last November.